<I>Fifeville</I> headlines Film Festival

Three Charlottesville filmmakers whose work was recently featured at the Rotterdam Film Festival– Kevin Everson, Alexandria Searls, and Talmage Cooley– lead a line-up of local and state artists showing work at the 7th annual Vinegar Hill film festival this week.

The Vinegar Hill festival has expanded from six short films in 1999 to 12 this year, most under 10 minutes long.

"Not since the first year have there been so many entries shot in 16-millimeter," says Searls, the festival director. Highlighting this year's offerings is Fifeville, Everson's portrait of a Charlottesville neighborhood in transition. Advanced students in his UVA cinematography class at UVA as well as members of the Carter G. Woodson Institute contributed sections to the festival opener, shot in black and white.

Richmond is the subject of Ward Howarth's Storm in a Bottle, a 17-minute portrait of two lovers that reveals as much about their city as about their relationship.

The two shortest films, at two minutes each, are Richard Sebastian's The Airplane– a music video for the Brooklyn band One Ring Zero that juxtaposes archival footage from the Prelinger archives with modern scenes– and Animation Demo, an animated film by local artists.

"All the years since 1999 have showed the digital revolution in full swing," Searls says, "but this year filmmakers seem to have returned to traditional film in a big way."

Corey Walker, producer of Fifeville, is among the filmmakers on hand to discuss the program at the end of Tueday's shows. The program runs 87 minutes, and the discussions last approximately 15.

The 7th annual Vinegar Hill Film Festival shows Tuesday, April 26, at 7 and 9:15pm at the (surprise!) Vinegar Hill Theatre. $8. 977-8458.